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Joplin Couple Indicted for Sexual Exploitation of Another Child Victim

Project Safe Childhood

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that the wife of a Joplin, Mo., man who was previously indicted on child pornography charges was indicted along with her husband by a federal grand jury today for the sexual exploitation of a second child victim.

James Hajny, 49, and his wife, Gina Hajny, 39, both of Joplin, were charged in a four-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Springfield, Mo. Today’s superseding indictment replaces the original indictment returned on June 10, 2014. The superseding indictment adds Gina Hajny as a co-defendant and charges both defendants with an additional count of sexual exploitation of a minor.

James and Gina Hajny are each charged in the additional count. Today’s indictment alleges that they used a minor, identified as Jane Doe #2, to produce child pornography.

Today’s superseding indictment also contains three counts from the original indictment. The indictment alleges that James Hajny used a minor victim, identified as “Jane Doe #1,” to produce child pornography in May 2014. James Hajny is also charged with distributing pornographic images of Jane Doe #1 over the Internet between Dec. 12, 2013, and May 12, 2014. The indictment also charges James Hajny with possessing child pornography on May 19, 2014.

The indictment contains a forfeiture allegation, which would require James and Gina Hajny to forfeit to the government any property used to commit the alleged offenses, including a laptop computer, two tablet computers, two cell phones, an iPod and a digital camera.

Dickinson cautioned that the charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Carney. It was investigated by the FBI and the Joplin, Mo., Police Department.

Project Safe Childhood

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."